Fire Aftermath
by sheltie
Summary: Takes place after the final ep. of Lightspeed Rescue. Carter/Dana


**Fire Aftermath**

**By: Sheltie**

_I don't own Power Rangers Lightspeed Rescue_

**A/N: this idea popped into my head after watching the finale episode of Lightspeed. Enjoy!**

Dana Mitchell sighed as she helped the paramedics out with the people coming out of the burning building. She looked and saw Chad and Kelsey helping others out and wondered where Joel was until he showed up coughing and carrying a little girl in his arms. She couldn't find Carter or Ryan anywhere and that worried her immensely. They had returned their morphers to Captain Mitchell just a while ago when they heard the sirens and jumped into action. Now here they were doing what they always did when they were Rangers, just without their powers.

"Dana, where are Carter and Ryan?" Kelsey asked as she scanned the rushing crowd.

"I don't know, last I saw was them going into the building looking for any more people" Dana said trying to keep the panic out of her voice.

Soon the building exploded.

"CARTER! RYAN!" Dana shouted.

The two girls saw a silhouette and then Ryan came out with his face blacken and his clothes singed.

"Ryan!" the two girls exclaimed as they rushed over.

"I'm alright," Ryan said trying to put on a brave face.

"Idiot, what were you thinking?" Kelsey asked as she lightly smacked Ryan on the shoulder.

"Sorry" Ryan said contritely.

Kelsey sighed as she shook her head.

"Where's Carter?" Dana asked worriedly.

Ryan paused for a moment.

"I have no idea, I thought he was right behind me" he said looking back at the burning building hoping to see the former Red Lightspeed Ranger emerge.

Dana stood and was about to run into still burning building when Kelsey and Ryan held her back.

"Let me go, I need to get to Carter" She yelled.

"Dana, calm down, I'm sure he's fine" Kelsey said hoping to calm her friend down.

"Yeah, Carter is a firefighter, he's probably made it out safely already" Ryan said hoping to reassure his sister.

Dana continued to struggle.

"What's going on?" Chad asked coming over.

"Yeah" Joel said.

"Carter is still inside there" Dana said as she continued her struggle.

Chad and Joel rushed off to the building, but were stopped before they even got close when another explosion rocked the building and one of the last windows blew out. A figure flew out of that blown window and luckily the firefighters on sight had a net to catch the figure in. Dana rushed over breaking free from Kelsey and Ryan's grip. She came over to check over the person and found it was Carter.

"Oh god Carter" Dana gasped.

This made the other former Lightspeed Rangers rush over to her.

"Oh man, he looks bad" Joel said frowning.

The paramedics rushed over and got Carter on the stretcher and pushed him to a nearby ambulance. The Rangers followed behind.

"Sorry, we only have room for one of you" one of the paramedics said looking at the group.

"Go Dana, I'll tell dad and Ms Fairweather" Ryan said.

Dana nodded and got in.

Once the ambulance was gone the others got set to go.

"Okay, Kels, Chad wrangle up some wheels for us. Joel, you and I will get my dad and Ms Fairweather" Ryan said taking charge.

The others nodded.

"Oh, and Joel, no flirting with Ms Fairweather. We don't have time" Ryan added.

Joel looked shocked and outraged, which made Chad and Kelsey laugh.

In the ambulance Dana held onto Carter's hand as the paramedics did their thing and got him ready to be transported to the hospital. But none of that was registering with her since she was so worried about Carter right now. He looked lifeless and so pale even though his face was covered with ash and slight burns. They soon reached the hospital and the paramedics rushed out and met the nurses waiting for them.

"What have we got?" a nurse asked.

"Male age mid-twenties to thirties smoke inhalation, bruised ribs, possibly broken, possible concussion, and burns" a paramedic said.

The nurse nodded and took the stretcher from the paramedic.

"Who are you?" another nurse asked Dana.

"Dana Mitchell, a friend" Dana said.

"You'll have to stay here, don't worry we'll take good care of him" the nurse said.

Dana could only nod as she plopped herself into a chair now feeling all the stress come upon her. She started to cry. She didn't know how long she cried, but she must've tired herself out since Ryan shook her awake.

"Hey, any word?" Ryan asked.

Dana shook her head. She looked around and all the former Lightspeed Rangers were there along with her dad and Ms Fairweather. They all looked solemn and quiet. Kelsey sat next to her and put an arm around her.

"Don't worry Day, Carter is strong and will get through this" Kelsey said comfortingly.

"I know, but I'm still worried" Dana said in a tired tone.

"Are any of you here for a Carter Grayson?" a doctor asked.

"Yes, we all are" Chad said speaking for the group.

"Well Mr. Grayson is in stable condition. He suffered from smoke inhalation, three cracked ribs, one broken rib and a concussion. He also has a few burns, but those are minor. He's asleep right now," the doctor said.

"Can we see him?" Dana asked.

"Yes you can, though I'd advise a few at a time" the doctor said.

"You go first Dana" Captain Mitchell said.

Dana nodded and walked into the room. She held back a gasp as she saw Carter lying there. He looked pale. All the ash and soot on his face was gone, but that made him more white looking. The beeping monitors told her he was still alive, but that still gave her little comfort. She went to a chair and pulled it close to the bed and she took his hand in hers.

"Hey Carter, it's Dana" she said quietly.

All she got in response was Carter's breathing, which kind of soothed her since it meant he was alive. She sat there for a while then decided to let the others have a chance. She got up, but before she left she took Carter's hand one more time and gave it a squeeze.

Dana came back every day to see Carter and was happy that he was getting better. When he awoke he was feeling fine, but it didn't take very long for the former Red Ranger to start to get restless.

"Carter, you have rest," Dana said adamantly.

"Dana, I know that, but why can't I rest at home I'd be more comfortable there?" Carter asked.

"Because Carter, they seem to think that you won't sit around at home," Dana said.

"Who gave them that idea?" Carter asked aloud.

Dana didn't say a thing, but she was the one who told the doctor and nurses about Carter and that he'd never be the one to lounge around at home. That if you wanted him to get better keep him in the hospital until he's fully healed.

"Come on Dana, can't you do something. I mean, I'm going to crazy here," Carter said ending with a frustrated sigh.

"I'll see what I can do" Dana said then left.

Minutes later Dana came back with a smile.

"Good news I hope?" Carter asked anxiously.

"Yes, you're cleared to leave" Dana said with a smile.

Carter pumped his fist.

"Only if you rest when you are at home" Dana continued.

"Of course, anything to get out of here" Carter said quickly.

"And to be sure, I'll be staying there with you" Dana finished.

Carter's jaw dropped.

"Y-you'll be staying with me" he said shocked.

Dana nodded.

"That isn't necessary Dana. I can rest all by myself" Carter said pleadingly.

"Carter, this is the only way for you get out of the hospital" Dana said with a sigh.

Carter sighed and nodded. He knew when he was beaten.

After signing some forms of release Dana wheeled Carter out in a wheelchair. Carter griped about being able to walk, but Dana told him that she was only following what the doctor ordered. Carter just pouted, which made Dana laugh.

When they got back to Carter's apartment Dana noticed that it was a bit of a mess.

"Sorry, but I haven't cleaned for a while" Carter said sheepishly.

"No matter, just lie down and I'll take care of it" Dana said.

"You don't have to do that Dana" Carter said.

"Carter, you need to rest. Go to your bedroom and I'll take care of everything" Dana said firmly.

Carter knew it was best not to argue with her so he did as he was told. When he awoke he found his apartment was cleaner than he had ever had it.

"Hey Carter, have a good sleep?" Dana asked with a smile.

"Uh yeah" Carter said still stunned by the sight of his clean apartment.

"Come on, I made us some dinner" Dana said.

Carter followed her to the kitchen and they sat down.

"Most of your food I had to throw out since it was expired. I went grocery shopping in a store nearby" Dana said.

"You didn't have to do that Dana" Carter said.

"It was no problem Carter, besides if I am going to be staying here for a while then food is a must" Dana said.

"About that, Dana, I know you want to watch over me and all, but what about your dad and Ryan?" Carter asked.

"I talked to them while you were napping and they were okay with it" Dana said.

"Oh" Carter said. He had no other cards to play.

They ate in silence just enjoying one another's company. It was just like when they were in the Aquabase together. No words were needed.

Once dinner was over Dana ordered him to the couch to rest while she cleaned up. He protested, but got nowhere with it and soon was lying on the couch. Dana came in drying her hands.

"So what do you want to do now?" she asked.

"Not sure, it's been a while since I've been here" Carter said.

"Well lets see what's on TV then" Dana suggested.

Carter nodded.

Soon they were watching a movie and relaxing. Carter was on the couch with Dana in a chair nearby.

The days past and Carter was forced to rest by Dana while Dana cleaned and made sure Carter had meals to eat. Carter felt he was being babied and he didn't like the feeling since he was usually self-reliant. But as Carter got better Dana eased up, but still made sure he wasn't pushing it. Tough they both enjoyed living with one another since they were sort of used to it when they were living at the Aquabase.

Today they were going to have a picnic with the other Rangers.

"Dana, do you have the basket packed?" Carter asked.

"I do Carter, how about the cooler?" Dana asked.

"All set, I do hope Joel won't volunteer to cook the meat again" Carter said.

"Me too, thank goodness you were there to put out the fire" Dana said.

With that they headed off to meet the others.

"Look who decided to show up" Joel said loudly.

"Quiet Joel" Kelsey said smacking the former Green Ranger in the arm hard.

"Ow, Kels that hurt" Joel said rubbing his arm.

Kelsey rolled her eyes and welcomed her friends.

"Sorry guys, but we had to make sure we got everything" Dana said.

"Well since we're all here I can start the cooking" Joel said happily.

"NO!" everyone shouted.

Joel was prohibited to getting anywhere near a flame since that last time he did he burned all the meat and nearly caused a disastrous fire. Luckily Carter was there to contain and put out the fire.

"I think Carter should man the grill" Chad suggested.

"Good idea" Kelsey said in total agreement.

Dana nodded in agreement.

Ryan wasn't a Ranger during this time, but he had heard about it and he was in total agreement.

"It only happened once" Joel said pouting.

"And we're going leave it at one" Kelsey said.

They all laughed.

Carter then began starting the grill and Dana started putting food out. She had to slap Ryan's hand away when he tried to sneak a few things. Once the food was cooked they all sat around and relaxed. It was nice to having a day where they wouldn't be interrupted by calls about demons attacking. They chatted about what they've been up since hanging up their jackets and morphers.

Chad was back playing with the dolphins and whales, Kelsey was chatting about the new extreme sports competition she was entering, Joel was back as Sky Cowboy and his relationship with Ms. Fairweather was going well, and Ryan was mending his relationship with his dad as well as working on becoming a firefighter.

"So what's it like living with a hot firefighter?" Kelsey asked.

Dana sputtered and almost chocked on her drink.

"What?"

"Oh come on Day, you can tell me" Kelsey said.

"Kels, I have no idea what's going in that head of yours, but I can obviously tell that I don't want to know" Dana said.

"You wound me Day" Kelsey said dramatically.

Dana rolled her eyes.

Thankfully the guys were having their own talk and weren't hearing what the girls were talking about.

"Kelsey, there is nothing going on between Carter and I we're just friends" Dana said firmly.

"Oh please, that old line is nothing, but a shield" Kelsey said.

"I mean it Kels. Carter and I are just friends, nothing more" Dana said.

"Sure, whatever you say" Kelsey said sarcastically.

Dana was ready to retort when out of the corner of her eye she saw Carter wince slightly.

"Are you alright Carter?" she asked worriedly.

"Fine Day, just the ribs are acting up a bit today" Carter said putting on a strong face.

Dana got up and went over to check on Carter.

"Dana, I'm fine, just a bit of pain. It's normal" Carter said.

Dana though ignored the leader of the Rangers and checked him over.

Carter sighed as he allowed Dana to check him over since he knew that if he didn't then she'd be fussing about it all day. Once Dana did her check and found nothing wrong she was relieved and went back to sit down next to Kelsey again.

Later that night Dana and Carter were sitting on the couch watching a movie and relaxing. If anyone was looking in on them then it would like a couple cuddling and watching a movie. Dana was curled on the couch resting her body against Carter's. Carter had an arm wrapped around Dana's waist holding her close. Both seemed content with their positions.

"Say Day, could I ask you something?" Carter asked breaking the silence.

"What is it Carter?" Dana asked looking up.

"Well, I, um, was wondering if you'd want to move in with me" Carter said.

Dana was shocked. Sure she was living with Carter right now, but this was temporary and she was going to go on her own way once Carter got clearance from the doctor.

"Well Dana, would you like to live with me?" Carter asked.

"Carter, what made you want to ask this?" Dana asked.

"Well, I guess I've gotten used to you being here that I couldn't stand you leaving" Carter said with a slight red hue on his cheeks.

Dana smiled since she felt comfortable here. She felt like home here in Carter's apartment. But was she ready to move in with Carter? They weren't even dating one another. She didn't know if it was the right time for this move. She bit her lip in thought.

"Dana, I know that this is out of order and we should be dating first before asking you to move in with me, but we've known each other long enough that I think we can skip that part. We lived together in the Aquabase. Please just think about, okay?" Carter said.

Dana was thinking about it. And Carter did have a few good points. But she still wasn't sure. So for the rest of the night there was some sort of tension in the air.

Dana needed to talk to Kelsey. She got a hold of her energetic friend and told her what happened.

"Girl, you so totally say yes" Kelsey said.

Dana sighed. Maybe going to Kelsey wasn't such a good idea.

"Kels, this is a big decision, I can't just jump in without thinking" Dana said.

Kelsey rolled her eyes at her friend.

"Please, Dana, Carter is telling you that he wants to be with you. You should go for it. I don't think he can be any more obvious" she said.

Dana frowned. She hadn't thought of this. Was this Carter's way of telling her how he felt for her? She wasn't sure since it didn't feel like it and she rather not get her hopes up.

Dana's next talk was with Ryan. She wanted to know what her brother thought before deciding.

"So he decided to do, huh?" Ryan said.

"You knew" Dana said shocked.

"Yeah, he asked me during the picnic wanting to know if it was alright" Ryan said.

"What did you say?" Dana asked nervously.

Ryan smiled at his sister.

"I told him that I trusted him with you and know that you'd be in good hands" he said.

"Ryan, that doesn't help me" Dana groaned.

"Dana, why are you stressing about this so much. I know you like Carter so this must be a dream come true for you" Ryan said.

Dana blushed. Her brother noticed her crush. That wasn't good.

"Dana, you're over thinking this whole thing" Ryan said with a sigh.

"But what about you and dad?" Dana asked.

"I'll be fine, and so will dad. We talked about it and figured it was time. You and Carter liked he each other almost since you two met. Dad will be happy for you. He'll want you to visit him once and awhile, but he wants you to be happy and he knows you being with Carter does that" Ryan said, "as for me, I'm getting by. I'm getting close to being a firefighter and I am enjoying life. So go and enjoy yours."

Dana just nodded as she thought.

It was a couple days after Carter asked Dana to live with him. There hadn't been any more talk about it since then. Carter decided to let Dana make up her own mind and whatever she chose he'd go with.

"Carter?" Dana asked.

Carter looked up from the newspaper he was reading.

"Is your offer still good?" Dana asked nervously.

Carter nodded knowing what she was talking about.

Dana took a deep breath, "Carter, I'd like to move in with you."

Carter smiled got up and gave Dana a hug.

Dana hugged Carter back as the back of her mind was wondering if this all meant something or not.

Carter pulled back and took a deep mental breath before leaning in and hoping he was doing the right thing. Dana saw this and her heart was beating fast. She had just enough time to get on her tiptoes and lean in also. Their lips touched and they felt a spark.

"I'm glad you decided to move in with me" Carter said.

"Me too Carter, me too" Dana said with a smile

**End**

**A/N: this one took a long time to write since I was so busy writing my other stories. I hope you like it. Thanks for reading and please review.**


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